Tara McCarthy is global vice president of ESG at Alltech and supports the company’s advancement of its vision of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™, which focuses on three key pillars of planetary well-being — economic, environmental and social.

She was previously the chief executive officer of Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, since 2017 and has more than 25 years of experience in the wider food industry. Prior to Bord Bia, she was chief executive officer for Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland's seafood development agency, and has lived and operated in overseas markets such as Germany, France and Belgium for more than 10 years. 

McCarthy is passionate about the opportunities that can be found within sustainably produced food and has worked across the supply chain to develop insights and industry partnerships. She has led numerous capability initiatives and developmental support programs for students, early career executives and entrepreneurs within the food industry for more than a decade, forming successful partnerships both nationally and internationally. In 2019, she co-founded Agdif, an industry initiative championing diversity in the Irish food industry. She has represented Ireland’s food industry globally, speaking on Origin Green, Ireland’s unique national sustainability program. In 2021, she led the establishment of the Origin Green Global Council. 

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from National University of Ireland, Galway (UCG) and a Master of Business Studies in marketing from University College Dublin (UCD) Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. McCarthy is an affiliate of the IMD Business School in Switzerland. She has been recognized with a number of awards, including UCG Alumna of the Year for Business and Commerce in 2017; Fellowship of the Marketing Institute of Ireland as well as Top 25 Ireland’s Most Powerful Women – Public Sector Leaders Award in 2018; and UCD Smurfit School Alumna of the Year in 2019.

She lives in Dublin with her husband, Didier, and their three children.

Biography (PDF) | Photo (Hi-res JPG)